


Only When Needed - Live Long & Prosper

by skargasm



Series: Only When Needed [6]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Fanart, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-09
Updated: 2020-10-09
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:01:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,267
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26915539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skargasm/pseuds/skargasm
Summary: For Kaige68's birthday - Peter manages to upset Stiles and Derek has to help him work out why...
Relationships: Derek Hale/Kira Yukimura, Peter Hale/Stiles Stilinski
Series: Only When Needed [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1816900
Comments: 19
Kudos: 336





	Only When Needed - Live Long & Prosper

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kaige68](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaige68/gifts).



> Happy birthday - I hope you had a fantastic day!
> 
> * * *

[ ](https://imgur.com/FDLLck2)

“I need help finding Stiles,” Peter said as soon as Derek opened the door. 

“What the hell did you do this time? For fucks sake, Peter, it’s your birthday tomorrow. What could you have done now?” Derek stepped back, letting Peter into the house and trying not to slam the door. The twins were only just asleep and Kira was taking a quick shower – Derek had been hoping for five minutes of peace and quiet from the chaos that was his family life. It was a good life, but sometimes it could all get a bit loud.

“What makes you think I did anything?” Peter asked, walking into the living room and falling tiredly into a chair.

“Because normally when Stiles does something like this, it’s because you’ve done something that qualifies you as a jackass,” Derek replied, taking a seat and picking up his beer.

“The last thing I know is we were talking – about my birthday – and I told him – I _joked_ about feeling old and not being long for this world!” Peter said, flinching back but still being caught by the cushion Derek threw at him.

“You are such an idiot! How did you reach this age and not realise how something like that would make Stiles feel?”

“What? Will someone please enlighten me because as far as I know, I haven’t done anything particularly wrong!” Peter protested.

“Fine, since you need it spelt out for you. The Symposium you and Stiles attended – the one with all the muckety-mucks talking about passing on the torch, etc. to the younger generation. What was the main theme?”

“Um – you just said what the main theme was. It was about passing things on – how to maintain pack balance during a shift-over in power, all of that crap. I still don’t know why I had to attend instead of Talia,” Peter complained.

“Right. And what was the average age of the wolves saying all of this stuff? About the need to ensure that the new generation had the knowledge they needed to take over smoothly?”

“I don’t know – Derek, what are you getting at?”

“Peter – he’s scared. All of the guys speaking – just going through the paperwork and leaflets – they were in their fifties. Their _early_ fifties.”

“Yeah, so?”

“So – Stiles and I were talking about it. They made it sound like, once you passed the power on, the best thing you could do for your pack was wander away and die quietly!” Derek was beginning to lose his temper with Peter’s obliviousness.

“Yeah, but when have you ever known me to do anything quietly? Besides, I don’t have any power to pass on – most of it was irrelevant to me!” Getting to his feet, Derek picked up the cushion he had previously thrown at Peter and smacked him over the head with it.

“He’s scared – you’re older than him, all of the wolves at that thing were around your age and talking about basically reaching the end of their lives! He doesn’t want to lose you, you complete asshole! Although God knows why – you are so fucking irritating!” Derek could see the moment it occurred to Peter what he was talking about.

It was well known within the Pack that Stiles was – protective about the people that he loved. He didn’t deal well with loss and did everything in his power to ensure that he didn’t lose anyone. Ever. There are had been an occasion or two when his responses to threats to the Pack had verged on nuclear and he had had to be held back. 

“But – I’m only going to be fifty-two. God willing, I’ve got another good forty or fifty years in me,” Peter protested, confusion written all over his face.

“Have you told Stiles that? You know, that unless we’re killed off, we can live well into our nineties?”

“Well, no! It never occurred to me that he wouldn’t know – **he’s** far more likely to die before I do!” Peter said.

“Right. You know that. I know that. Mom knows that. All of the _born_ wolves know that. Did anyone happen to mention to the slightly psychotic human anything about that?” Derek said, re-taking his seat and wondering just why Peter had chosen him to come to. He would bet that his Mom had run at the first sign of trouble, or even worse, pointed Peter in his direction. “Ever since Stiles found out about the Supernatural, there hasn’t been a steady period of peace until now. There’s been no time to tell him, to _show_ him that as long as we keep the territory safe, he doesn’t have to fear losing _any_ of us. And then you go blathering on about feeling old – Jesus, I should shoot you myself!”

“Oh.”

“Yes. Oh. Thank God you didn’t go to the Sheriff with this – I think he _would_ have shot you! He did warn you what Stiles could be like.”

“Yeah, he did.” Peter looked thoughtful. “He told me that if anything happened to me, that Stiles would – “

“He would burn down the world, tear down the stars for you – yes, I remember his wedding vows. I just don’t think you’ve remembered that Stiles probably meant them literally.” Derek watched as it finally seemed to sink into Peter’s consciousness. “Any ideas where he could be?”

“Yeah – thinking about it, with all that you’ve said – I know where he is,” Peter replied, getting to his feet. He patted his nephew on the shoulder and headed towards the door. “Thanks, Derek. Who knew that you would turn into such a wise and useful member of the Pack? I guess I’ll always see you as having big ears and bunny teeth!”

“Hey!” Derek protested, leaning over the back of the couch to glare at Peter. “I grew into those years ago!”

“Bye Derek!”

“Bye Uncle Peter!”

* * *

Stiles didn’t turn to face Peter when he walked up behind him. He’d heard the car arrive and park next to the Jeep and had been aware of his husband’s arrival but he wasn’t ready to face him yet. Asshole.

“If I promise that I’ll still be chasing you around the bedroom when you’re ninety, will you forgive me?” Peter said, coming to stand beside him.

“No.”

“Oh.” They stood in silence for a while, the peacefulness of the Preserve surrounding them. Few members of the Pack knew about this quiet spot – it was why Stiles liked it. Sometimes he just needed a little quiet from the riotous crowd of people that belonged to him. The Pack was one of the biggest in the US, numerous marriages, offspring – both born and adopted, as well as Pack members who had joined from other places. Sometimes it was almost hard to keep track of them all.

Peter moved closer, his arm coming around Stiles’ shoulders. He contemplated shrugging it off but didn’t because, in the end, in Peter’s arms was where he wanted to be.

“If you die, I’ll find a way to resurrect you and kill you myself,” he finally said, leaning his head on Peter’s shoulders and taking a deep breath, allowing himself to relax.

“I wouldn’t expect anything else from you, my darling,” Peter said softly. “This is beautiful.”

“Yes, it really is.” 

“Still – “

“What?”

“Would it be incredibly crass of me to mention that the grass is _ruining_ these boots and I would really like to take you home and show you just what a man on the verge of fifty-two can do?”

“Unbearably crass, but – I’ll allow it.”

“I love you, sweetheart.”

“I love you too. Asshole.”

* * *

**fin**

* * *


End file.
